Heating element support unit for ovens and the like



April 3- L. E. BUTTERS 2,316,222

HEATING ELEMENT SUPPORT UNIT FOR OVENS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 3, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

BY Leo/2am 1761mm;

A RNEYS L. E. BUTTERS 2,316,222

April 13, 1943.

HEATING ELEMENT SUPPORT UNIT FOR OVENS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Aug. :5, 1940 llOl Patented Apr. '13, 1943 HEATING ELEMENT SUPPORTUNIT FOR OVENS AND THE LIKE Leonard E. Butters, Albion, Mich., assiznorto Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich.

Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,535

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in heating element support unitsfor ovens and the like.

The main objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a heating element support Q unit for ovens and thelike, in which the support unit may be completely assembled and theheating unit easily and quickly mounted thereon.

Second, to provide a heating unit in which the heating element iseffectively supported and insulated from its support.

Third, to provide a unit of the type described which is of wireconstruction throughout, which enables the heating unit and Insulatorsto be readily installed thereon, effecting a considerable economy oflabor and time in this operation.

Fourth, to provide a unit of the type described having a minimum ofmetal surrounding the heating units whereby to increase the efficiencyand speed of heating thereof.

Further objects relating to details and economies of my invention willappear from the description to follow. The invention is defined'in theclaims.

A structure embodying the features of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. '1 is a top plan view illustrating one embodiment of the unit of myinvention having a number of insulators assembled thereon, the heatingelement being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1, furtherillustrating certain of the parts of the unit of my invention and theirrelation to insulators operatively associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section on line 3--3 of Fig.1, still further illustrating details of the unit construction and themethod of securing the insulators thereto, the position of the insulatorclamping means prior to insertion of the insulators being illustrated indotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a heating element supporting unit inaccordance with a modified embodiment of my invention.

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary views in section on lines 5-5 and6-6 respectively of Fig. 4.

Fig, 7 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating a support unit inaccordance with a still further modified embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

The present invention relates in general to a household electric oven.More particularly, the invention relates to such a support wherein theamount of. metal surrounding or adjacent the heating element is reducedto a minimum, thereby increasing the efllciency and speed of operationof the element. This-frame in all the embodiments to be hereinafterdescribed is characterized by the simplicity and ruggedness of the sameand by the ease and speed in which the heating element insulators may beassociated therewith and the element threaded through the insulators.

Referring to the drawings, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I illustrate a heatingelement support or unit embodying my invention, which comprises arectangular frame I formed of a length of relatively round wire stock,of suitable diameter to' provide substantial rigidity, the rear corners2 of which are substantially rounded to facilitate insertion and removalthereof in the oven of an electric range, for example. This. length ofstock terminates at the front of the frame at points 3,

' heating element support for the conventional but is connected betweenthese points in a rigid manner by the elongated depending loop 4 whichfurnishes a finger piece or handle for withdrawing the unit whendesired.

A plurality of spaced cross straps or rods 5 extend laterally across theframe, being welded at their ends 6 to the top of the frame for supportthereby. A longitudinal intermediate bracing rod 1 extends from front torear of the frame, being butt welded at 8 to the rear reach 9 thereofand welded at H) beneath the foremost cross strap 5. If desired, rod 1may be curved upwardly over the strap 5 immediately behind the frontstrap, as indicated at il, whereby the rod is supported adjacent itsfront end.

A semi-circular support member i2 is welded on the top of the rear framereach 9 and the rearmost longitudinal rod 1, this support beingpreferably of steel strap stock of flat rectangular section and serving,when the unit is completely assembled, to support an electricalconnector (not shown) with which the heating terminals of the heatingelement i3 are secured. This connector coacts with a suitable sock'etmember or connector disposed in the rear of the oven in accordance withconventional practice.

The cross pieces or strips 5 are preferably of flat rectangular sectionsteel rod or wire-stock, though it will be appreciated that ,they mightwell be of circular stock or other desired outline. Each of said strapshas a plurality of insulator gripping clamping elements i5 weldedthereto at It, the construction and arrangement of these elementsrelative to the straps being clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. Eachconsists of a, section or element of stock preferably similar to that ofwhich the straps are fabricated, the ends of these elements being ofisetdownwardly and bent into semi-circular configuration at H. Initially andprior to assembly of the insulators i8 therewith, the curved ends I! aredisposed in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The crossstraps 5 are themselves provided with upward bends or curved portions l8adjacent the point of securement of elements l5 thereto and in positionto coact with the curved ends I! in receiving and clamping theinsulators l8 therebetween.

There are a plurality of clamping or securing elements in laterallyspaced relation on and parallel to each of the cross rods or straps. Inassembling the heating element, all that is necessary is to insert theinsulators i8 (which are of annular form and provided with an annulargroove on their outer peripheral surface to receive the strap 5 andcurved ends ll) into the insulator receiving space described above, andthen close up the curved end I! to bring the same from the dotted lineto the solid line position of Fig. 3. This effectively clamps theinsulators in place with a minimum of time and trouble. Thereafter, allthat is necessary is to thread the heating element I) through theinsulators in the desired manner. In this connection, it will beobserved that I provide a pair of auxiliary straps 2| adjacent the rearof the frame and extending between and spot welded to the rear reach 9and the rearmost cross strap for the reception of further insulators,whereby the heating element is adequately supported adjacent itsconnection to the electrical connector (not shown).

The foregoing construction is inexpensive, economical, both in itsstructural aspects and in the ease and quickness with which the heatingunit may be assembled. It has a minimum of metal adjacent andsurrounding the heating clement, so that the thermal efficiency thereofis unimpaired.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6, I illustrate a modified embodiment of myinvention, wherein the border frame 22 is endless and is provided witha. pair of parallel side supporting reaches 23 of wire rod stockadjacent and below its side reaches.

- tion beneath the downwardly offset cross These auxiliary reaches havespot welded thereto at 24 the upturned ends 25 of a plurality ofiongitudinally spaced laterally extending cross rods or pieces 26 of anydesired section round wire rod stock being used in the embodimentillustrated. These cross pieces 26 have welded to the upper side thereofat 21 the laterally spaced bendable insulator clamping and securingelements 28 which per se are generally similar to the elements 15illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and which coact with the cross pieces26 in receiving insulators ill in substantially the same manner. 7

The cross pieces 26 have welded to the bot tom sides thereof a U-shapedwire rod support member 30, the extremities of the legs of whichU-shaped member are bent upwards at 3i and welded to the front reach 32of frame 22 to brace the same. The said leg extremities are also spotwelded to an auxiliary U-shaped wire rod member 33 the ends of whichextend around the sides of the strap structure supported by the frameand are welded to the upturned legs 25 of the cross pieces in the mannerclearly illustrated in Fig. 5. U-shaped supp rt 3| at its pieces 20.

A supplemental insulator I1 is supported transversely of the otherinsulators adjacent the front of the frame in a manner similar to thatin which the other insulators are supported, 1. e., by a section ofstrap material I'll welded to the foremost cross piece 2! and providedwith a bendable clamp 312 at its end (see Fig. 6).

The assembly of the heating element I2 of the foregoing support unit isidentical to that described in connection with the embodiment of Figs.1, 2, and 3 and similar advantages are obtained. The side reaches offrame 22 serve as lateral supports on which the unit may be slid intoplace in an oven. The whole heating unit is disposed below said reachesand protected by the frame against damage from inadvertent dropping orthe like.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I illustrate a still further embodiment of myinvention, wherein the endless frame 38 has a plurality of cross membersdisposed thereon in laterally spaced parallel relation, some of which,indicated by the reference numeral 3!, are of the full length of theframe and are welded at their opposite ends thereto, and others ofwhich, indicated by the reference numeral 40, are of only partial lengthand are welded at one end of the frame and free at their other. Thisleaves an open space interiorly of the elements 38, 40. Each of thecross members 19, 40 has a plurality of wire insulator supporting andclamping clips ll welded to its lower surface and extending at rightangles thereto. These elements 4| are similar to those of the precedingembodiments and when secured in operati ve relation and provided withannular insulators in the manner described above furnish a multiplicityof heating element supports arranged in an open-center, box-likerelation. The heating element may be arranged to stretch across thespace interiorly of the supports, thereby furnishing a large area inwhich all of the heat evolved by the element is immediately availablefor broiling or baking purpose.

It will be noted that in Figs. 7 and 8 the clamping elements 4| extendtransversely of cross members 39, 40 rather than parallel thereto as inthe embodiments of Figs. 1 to 6. For this reason, the curved ends 42 ofthe elements are made of suflicient length to support the insulators l8in their entirety and without any further coacting means such as isprovided by the cross pieces in the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 6.

The foregoing units are all well adapted for use as broiler or bakingunits in the conventional electric range and are all characterized by aminimum of metal adjacent and surrounding the heating element, wherebyits efficiency is improved. All are strong and sturdy and resistant todamage or displacement of the heating element and in all thereof theheating element and insulators therefor are assembled on the supportwith speed and facility.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in embodiments whichare very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe otherembodiments or adaptations as it is believed that this disclosure willenable those skilled Patent is:

1. A heating unit for an electric oven, comprising an open frame of rodstock having a plurality of cross straps extending transversely thereofand welded at their ends to the side reaches of the frame, and aplurality of sets of insulator receiving and clamping clips spacedlaterally on and welded to said straps, said clips each comprising apair of curved initially open ends and an integral connecting reachtherefor secured to the strap, said ends receiving insula-- tors andbeing bendable to a relatively closed position upon insertion of aninsulator therein to clamp the same in place and said straps hava ingcoacting bent portions receiving the insulator when so assembled,whereby the insulators are securely held in position with a. minimum 01-metal surrounding and adjacent the same.

2. A heating unit for an electric oven, com prising an open frame of rodstock having a plurality of straps welded at their ends to the par--allel reaches 01' the frame, and a plurality oi sets of insulatorreceiving and clamping clips spaced along and welded to said straps,said clips each comprising a pair of curved initially open ends and anintegral connecting reach therefor secured to the strap, said endsreceiving insulators and being bendable to a relatively closed positionupon insertion of an insulator therein to clamp the same in place andsaid straps coacting with said clips in engaging the sides 01 theinsulator, whereby the insulators are securely held in position with aminimum oi. metal surrounding and adjacent the same.

LEONARD E. BU'I'I'E'RS.

